Petroleum Coke
Petroleum Coke, or petcoke, is a byproduct of the oil refining process. As refineries worldwide seek to operate more efficiently and extract more gasoline and other high value fuels from each barrel of crude oil, a solid carbon material known as petcoke is produced. This byproduct is a complex blend of many different types of hydrocarbons that differ in composition and properties.
The properties of petcoke depend on the refinery process used and feedstock employed; as a result, each refinery produces its own unique blend of petcoke. Petcoke can contain various organic compounds, including aromatics, metals and acid gases, depending on the blend produced.
Petcoke is primarily available as two grades: green coke and calcined coke. Green coke is usually produced when the feedstock is a lower-valued heavy oil such as atmospheric or vacuum distillation residue. This type of petroleum coke is mainly used as a fuel in power plants and other industrial applications. Calcined petcoke, on the other hand, is produced when the feedstock is higher-value light oil, such as naphtha or light cycle oil. Calcined petcoke has long been used as a filler material in brake linings, among other products, due to its superior stability and strength.
The petcoke market is segmented by grade, end-use and region. On the basis of grade, green petcoke and calcined petcoke are the two main grade types. Depending on the application, the green grade petcoke is further classified into fuel grade petcoke and anode grade petcoke. On the basis of end-use, the petcoke market is mainly classified into aluminum, steel, cement, fertilizer and others. By region, the petcoke market is segmented into Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, and Rest of the World.
The use of petcoke has provided refiners with an economic benefit and is widely used as a fuel source in parts of the world where access to other fuel sources is limited. In areas with limited access to other fuel sources, petcoke provides a cost-effective and efficient alternative to traditional fuels. However, with increasing concerns over air and water pollution, there has been some resistance to the use of petcoke.
Due to the stringent emission limits imposed by governments, the use of petcoke as a fuel is becoming increasingly limited as refineries and power plants seek alternative fuels or fuel additives that produce fewer emissions. Furthermore, rising demand for alternative energies such as natural gas and renewable options such as wind and solar are also limiting the demand for petcoke.
Despite these challenges, petcoke continues to be a valuable byproduct of the oil refining process and is widely used throughout the world in various industrial applications. As refineries become even more efficient in their production of gasoline and other high value fuels, the demand for petcoke is expected to increase in the coming years.
